Messages - Daigo-Bah

I must be crazy passing up 2 RFTs and a Bar2-D2 at Tuesday Morning today, but I just have enough for my diorama needs! If I see a Jedi Luke or Wedge, however... I'm hoping this trend of older waves to discount stores continues- I love the idea of $5 vintage figures. There's no buyer remorse!

On a tip I visited a couple of Tuesday Mornings and found vintage figs for $5. Seems each store is getting 6 at a time and they seem to be all carry forwards from the Revenge waves - Yoda, ESB Vader, corrected Stormie, Slave Leia, Bar 2, and RFT

This is exciting news; I've been checking TJ Maxxs, Marshalls, Ross, and Kohls since before Christmas, ever since I saw the Ep2 wave at many of them for $5 each. I've been waiting for some OT characters to show up at those discount stores- how great would it be to find a Gamorrean or Hoth trooper there?

The box looks great, the repaint looks great.... but what the heck is it with Hasbro re-releasing things too soon after it was already out? Certain Saga Legends like Snowspeeder Luke, the Dewback, and now this? Give it a few years for collectors just into the hobby to need it, and something new for us in the meantime!

I believe the biggest thing to blame is Hasbro's out-of-touch executive mentality that the majority of product is made to support current media. There is not enough interest from kids in owning every obscure Clone Wars character, nor the 3D prequel figure treatments. I don't understand how they cannot see the absolute glut of Episode 1 on the shelves, while every OT wave with lower numbers sells out. Try to find the deleted scene wave in quantity, and compare it to the Ep1 wave. Not only do they sell faster, but they are produced in far too few numbers compared to the media-supported stuff. People just don't get excited to own merchandise that's currently on TV or in theaters, compared to the power of nostalgia.

That's what I thought too, Jesse- so I called a different store's customer service (and not to make a judgment call on intelligence from one short conversation with 2 different employees, but the second one was very articulate) and she outlined the policy for me before I even told her the scenario. Sure enough, she said percentage coupons are not accepted at WM by rule- what is accepted are coupons that have a dollar amount "off", or a dollar amount given (like $5.99 figures). Small distinction, but I do see it. So, either your store allowed it due to the employee not knowing the intricacies of the rule, or there is a different rule for different stores (which is unlikely I guess). Possible my store's employee added that rule to the coupon policy- I guess we'll know more as others try it!

I keep missing out on all these great sales because Hasbro has nothing out that I want. It seems like missed opportunity after missed opportunity, since Hasbro insists on supporting current media heavily, overstocking stores with EP1 and Clone Wars. And yet, all deleted scene figures sell out, as do the Tauntauns and Landspeeders and RFTs and HRTs. I just don't know why they "have" to come up with these event support themes when it's clear what sells out: OT and EU.

JJ, sorry I missed your earlier question: I did in fact have to remove Jerjerrod's cap with an x-acto blade, but it was something I had done much earlier for another diorama, so no new work here. By the way, I wanted to ask you (or anyone else reading): do you have any need for a few headless/gloveless A-Wing pilots from the previous release? I intend on making at least 2 more when I find Mon Cal pilots, and I'd hate to waste the leftover pilot bodies. I thought of you since you tend to army build rebels to some extent. Let me know!

Haha! He does look pissed off! By the way, I was wrong about it being the DS Trooper head; it's actually a Moff Jerjerrod head. The Mon Cal's neck is so skinny and long, that some dremel/drill work will be necessary. Any head should work with a little drilling into the existing ball socket, so that the head can sink lower than it would otherwise.

I am seriously considering replacing all 6 of the TAC A-Wing pilots in my Home One briefing diorama with the Mon Cal pilot's body (swap heads and forearms, if they fit). This is finally the perfect screen-accurate uniform compared to the many inaccuraies of the previous one.

I'm surprised at how many times I read "if all the films are released as 3D" from several people on the forums. Is there anyone that really believes they won't be at least marginally successful? It won't take much to return what it likely costs to make the film 3D; I mean, they filmed each once, and re-released them repeatedly to theaters and home media. I can't imagine any of them would be considered failures no matter how low (realistically) the box office returns would be.

Despite the problems we all have with Hasbro, admittedly they've done an overall good job of keeping SW merchandise as relevant as any other hot new toy line, and even moreso. But at some point, it will likely have to become a collector-only line, like NECA and such. Certain years have looked more like that than others, but it's inevitable I think. A 30+ year old property is going to eventually become a nostalgia thing rather than support of new media- that's what it's been for me and many other collectors, since the line began. I just wish Hasbro would acknowledge the support collectors have given this hobby: I don't care how many kids get their parent to buy a Vader figure, it pales in comparison to the dozens/hundreds of army builders many of us buy, year after year.